Provisional Reich Economic Council

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The provisional Reichswirtschaftsrat (VRWiR) was founded on May 4, 1920. It was initially a provisional replacement for the Reich Economic Council provided for in Article 165 of the Weimar Constitution . However, this constitutional mandate was never fulfilled. The provisional Reichswirtschaftsrat existed until it was dissolved by the National Socialist government on March 31, 1934.

prehistory

Before that there had been a so-called National Economic Council in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1881 . In contrast to the Reich Economic Council of the Weimar Republic, it only had an advisory function. The attempt to set up a Reich Economic Council , started in 1881/82 , failed because of the concerns of the Reichstag . In 1887 he was dissolved again after the Prussian House of Representatives had refused him the funds.

Emergence

Demands for an economic parliament with legislative powers came from different quarters during the constitutional deliberations. At the second congress of workers, peasants and soldiers' councils, which took place from April 8 to 14, 1919, the delegates approved a proposal by Max Cohen-Reuss ( MSPD ) that provided for the creation of chambers of labor. In the SPD itself, this decision met with rejection, while it met with approval from the extreme right. Clemens von Delbrück ( DNVP ) saw professional chambers as a “ counterweight to the excessive tension in parliamentarism and against the rule of parliament. "

A curtailment of parliamentary competences through the creation of an economic parliament with legislative powers did not find a majority in the Weimar National Assembly . The finally adopted Article 165 of the Constitution then no longer provided for legislative rights. However, the Reich Economic Council was given the right to introduce laws and to examine draft laws, but did not have the right to veto the laws passed by the Reichstag .

In continuation of the idea of ​​the council movement of the November Revolution, the constitution provided for the establishment of an economic council organization. Regional and local workers' and economic councils were planned, with the Reich Economic Council as the umbrella body. But these far-reaching plans were tacitly abandoned as early as 1919/20, even if the SPD and the free trade unions around 1924 once again called for regional structures at times.

composition

The provisional Reich Economic Council had the task of comprehensively appraising social and economic policy drafts of fundamental importance from the standpoint of the economy before the actual parliamentary deliberation. In addition, he had a restricted right of initiative compared to the planned Reich Economic Council , which in this form was more of a right of proposal. He also helped set up the workers 'councils, employers' representatives and economic councils provided for in Article 165 of the constitution.

The council consisted of 326 members who were initially divided into 10 professional and representative groups. The members were sent by professional interest groups and professional associations. There were also members appointed by the Reich government and the Reichsrat. The council consisted of 68 representatives from agriculture and forestry, including 25 employee representatives, 6 representatives from horticulture and fishing, 68 representatives from industry, 44 from trade, banking and insurance, and 34 representatives from the transport sector and public companies. 36 representatives of the trade, including 22 employees, 30 representatives of the interests of consumers, as representatives of the liberal professions and civil servants. In addition, there were twelve members from regional economic life appointed by the Reichsrat and twelve personalities appointed by the Reich government, for example from science.

Since this professional group structure did not prove to be functional against the background of the conflicts between employers and employees, the council was later divided into three departments (entrepreneurs, employees, non-commercial representatives).

Organization and structure

The main organ of the provisional Reich Economic Council was the general assembly. However, the high number of members prevented them from working effectively. It met only 58 times and was not convened after June 29, 1923. The main working bodies were therefore the committees, the most important of which were the Economic Policy Committee, the Social Policy Committee and the Financial Policy Committee. After the formation of committees, subcommittees and working committees increased steadily in the first few years (53 in 1923), the number was limited to eleven. The board was responsible for the management and issued guidelines for the uniform drafting of the reports. From mid-1923 onwards, instead of the general assembly, he gave his consent to the passing on of committee resolutions to the Reich government.

The business practices and working methods within the provisional Reich Economic Council as well as in cooperation with the Reich government and the Reichstag had to develop gradually. The initial difficulties are due, in particular, to the fact that there has been no model for such an organization.

Despite the extensive activity of the provisional Reich Economic Council, the actual influence on the decisions of parliament remained very limited. A major economic and social enquête held between 1928 and 1932 was of certain importance .

Debate about the implementation of the constitutional mandate

The constitutional committee of the provisional Reich Economic Council drew up guidelines for the formation of the final Reich Economic Council. There was agreement that, due to a number of deficiencies, this should not be an exact copy of the provisional Reich Economic Council. For example, the number of members should be reduced by half and specialist committees should only be appointed when necessary with the assistance of experts without voting rights. The main working bodies should continue to be the committees and deliberations in the plenary assembly should only take place when necessary. The question of the constitutional status of the Reich Economic Council came up again. The decision was made this time against a second legislative chamber and in favor of an expert body. However, as the overall representative of German economic life, the Reich Economic Council should participate in the legislation and administration of the Reich in the economic and socio-political area and should already be included in the drafting of the draft laws.

The debate about the final form of the Reich Economic Council lasted until 1930, when a bill was put to a vote after long preparatory work. Although he found a majority in parliament on July 14, 1930, since it would have been a constitutional amendment, a two-thirds majority would have been required. Up until the end of the republic, no further attempts worth mentioning were made.

In April 1933 the term of office of all members of the Reich Economic Council was ended by law and the Reich Economics Minister was authorized to appoint 60 people as members of the provisional Reich Economic Council. A year later it was completely dissolved.

Seat

Ruins of the People's Court in Berlin's Bellevuestrasse , 1951

The provisional Reich Economic Council used the building of the Wilhelmsgymnasium , which was dissolved in 1924 . After the Reich Economic Council was dissolved, the People's Court moved into the building. It was destroyed in 1945. The ruin was removed in the 1950s.

similarities

A comparable body was the Federal Economic Council in the May constitution of the Austro- fascist corporate state (Austria) . In contrast to the Reich Economic Council, it could not submit legislative proposals, but only discuss those of the federal government . The decision was made by the Bundestag , which in return was not allowed to deliberate. In addition, all members belonged to the Unity Party of the Patriotic Front .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Ordinance on the Provisional Reich Economic Council" of May 4, 1920 (RGBl. 1920, p. 858)
  2. ↑ Weimar Constitution Art. 165: The workers and employees are called to participate equally in community with the entrepreneurs in the regulation of wage and working conditions as well as in the overall economic development of productive forces. The mutual organizations and their agreements are recognized. In order to safeguard their social and economic interests, the workers and employees receive legal representation in works councils as well as in district workers 'councils structured according to economic areas and in a Reich workers' council. The district workers' councils and the Reichsarbeitersrat meet with the representatives of the employers and other participating national circles to form district economic councils and a Reich economic council to fulfill all economic tasks and to participate in the implementation of the socialization laws. The District Economic Councils and the Reich Economic Council are to be designed in such a way that all important professional groups are represented in them according to their economic and social importance. Social policy and economic policy drafts of fundamental importance should be submitted by the Reich Government to the Reich Economic Council for assessment before they are introduced. The Reich Economic Council has the right to apply for such bills itself. If the Reich Government does not agree with them, it must nevertheless submit the proposal to the Reichstag, explaining its position. The Reich Economic Council can have the bill represented by one of its members before the Reichstag. The workers' and economic councils can be given control and administrative powers in the areas assigned to them. To regulate the structure and task of the workers' and economic councils as well as their relationship to other self-governing social bodies is exclusively a matter for the Reich.
  3. ↑ Law of March 23, 1934 (RGBl. 1934 II, p. 115)
  4. ↑ cit. according to Winkler, Weimar, p. 102f.
  5. ↑ Law of April 5, 1933 (RGBl. 1933 I, p. 165) digitized